The present invention relates generally to electronic product information display systems, and more particularly to expanded retail display functions within an electronic product information display system.
Traditional electronic product information display systems typically display price information associated with a product. Exemplary product information display systems, also known as electronic shelf label (ESL) systems, are shown and described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,537,126; 5,737,567 and 6,089,453.
The display of alternative information may be desirable in a variety of situations in order to take full advantage of such electronic product information display systems.
In one aspect, in an electronic product information display system including multiple product storage areas, a plurality of display tags associated with the product storage areas, a multiplicity of the display tags including an annunciator, a controller connected for communication with the display tags, and a portable wireless terminal operable for communication with the controller, a method for locating at least one product includes the steps of: (a) identifying a desired product using the portable wireless terminal; (b) communicating the desired product to the controller using the portable wireless terminal; (c) identifying, by the controller, at least one display tag associated with the desired product; (e) communicating, from the controller to the identified display tag, a signal for activating the annunciator of the identified display tag.
In another aspect, n an electronic product information display system including multiple product storage areas, a plurality of display tags associated with the product storage areas, a multiplicity of the display tags including an annunciator, a controller connected for communication with the display tags, a portable wireless terminal operable for communication with the controller, and the system operable in a plurality of modes, a method for retrieving multiple products stored in the product storage areas involves: (a) uploading a product list to the portable wireless terminal and displaying at least part of the list on a display of the portable wireless terminal; (b) selecting a desired product from the product list of the portable wireless terminal; (c) communicating the desired product to the controller using the portable wireless terminal; (d) the controller identifying a display tag associated with the desired product and activating the annunciator of the associated display tag; (e) retrieving the desired product; (f) marking the desired product as retrieved on the product list on the portable wireless terminal; (g) updating the product list on the portable wireless terminal by removing the retrieved product from the product list; and (h) repeating steps (b) through (g) for each product on the product list.
In a further aspect, in an electronic product information display system including multiple product storage areas, a plurality of display tags associated with the product storage areas, a multiplicity of the display tags including an annunciator, a controller connected for communication with the display tags, and a portable wireless terminal operable for communication with the controller and having a scanner for scanning product codes, a method for facilitating product stocking involves: (a) scanning a product code of a product to be stocked using the portable wireless terminal; (b) communicating information regarding the scanned product to the controller; (c) the controller identifying a display tag associated with the scanned product and activating the annunciator of the associated display tag to alert the user to the appropriate stocking location.
In yet another aspect, in an electronic product information display system including multiple product storage areas, a plurality of display tags associated with the product storage areas, each product display tag including a display screen, a controller connected for communication with the display tags, a method for displaying secondary display information on at least one display tag involves: (a) displaying primary display information by a given display tag; (b) activating an input device of the given display tag; (c) communicating the activation of the input device of the given display tag to the controller; (d) the controller retrieving secondary display information for the given tag from a database; (e) the controller transmitting the secondary display information to the given display tag; and (f) the given display tag displaying the received secondary display information.
In still a further aspect, in an electronic product information display system including multiple product storage areas, a plurality of display tags associated with the product storage areas, a multiplicity of the display tags including an annunciator, a controller connected for communication with the display tags, a portable wireless terminal operable for communication with the controller, and a printer associated with the portable wireless terminal, a method for replacing at least one overlay label for a display tag involves: (a) uploading a display tag or product list to the portable wireless terminal and displaying at least part of the list on a display of the portable wireless terminal; (b) selecting a list item from the list on the portable wireless terminal; (c) communicating the list item to the controller using the portable wireless terminal; (d) the controller activating a annunciator of a given display tag associated with the selected list item; (e) the controller communicating print information for the given display tag to the portable wireless terminal; (f) the portable wireless terminal causing the printer to print a new overlay label for the given display tag according to the received print information.
In another aspect, in an electronic product information display system including multiple product storage areas, a plurality of display tags associated with the product storage areas, a multiplicity of the display tags including an annunciator, a controller connected for communication with the display tags, and a portable wireless terminal operable for communication with the controller, a method for performing display tag maintenance involves: (a) uploading a display tag or product list to the portable wireless terminal and displaying at least part of the list on a display of the portable wireless terminal; (b) selecting a list item from the list on the portable wireless terminal; (c) communicating the list item to the controller using the portable wireless terminal; (d) the controller activating an annunciator of a given display tag associated with the selected list item; (e) locating the given display tag via the annunciator and performing required display tag maintenance.